Drawing mechanisms



Nov. 19, 1957 P. B. WEST ErAL 2,813,309

DRAWING MECHANISMS Nov. 1 9, 1957 P. B'. wr-:sT rAL 2,813,309

DRAWING MECHANIsMs Filed Aug. 17, 1954 4 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 No'v. 19, 1957 P. B. wEsT ETAL 2,813,309

DRAWING MECHANIsMs 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Aug. 17, 1954 United States Patent O y DRAWING SMS Paul B. West, Kennebunk, and Gordon C. Anderson, Biddeford, Maine, yassignors to Saco-Lowell Shops, Boss ton, Mass., a corporation ofMane Application August 17, 1954, Serial No. 450,388

9 Claims. (Cl. `1'91`65) This invention relates `to drafting mechanisms of the type used in `drawing iframes, but more particularly to a roll weighting, `as 'well as Va stop :motion mechanism ucombined therewith for use in a drawing frame.

ln drawing frames, `the drawing operation is performed by a series of cooperating rolls, usually in pairs :operating at successively higher speeds, between which 4rol-ls the sliver is passed 'to draft it. Heretofore, the `weighting of the top rolls of such frames has been accomplished by saddles or Weight hooks connected by stirrups or rods with springs, weights, or Weighted levers which apply the desired degree of pressure to the rolls. The fact that these weight transmitting elements must run from the vicinity of the rolls down through the space between them and the `roll stand beam `necessarily encumbers this space with parts which not only themselves pick up lint and fly, but both are diicult toclean as Well las interfere with the cleaning of other elements of the frame. Furthermore, the removal of ya drawing roll as is frequently necessary not only for general cleaning but for clearing sliver lap ups thereon, as well as for roll replacement, necessitates the individual removal of `the weight hooks which are arranged at each end of a top roll.

The present invention deals particularly with the foregoing considerations and is herein disclosed as embodied in a drawing mechanism having a series of bottom drawing rolls cooperating with a series of i top drawing rolls, and a weighting arm which overlies and is `adapted to apply a predetermined pressure against each of the top rolls of the series by means of novel adjustable spring weighting units which `may also `operate as the actuating element of a stop motion mechanism.

Accordingly, it is a principal object of the invention to provide simplified and improved weighting by means of a novel overal-m weighting mechanism in which predetermined pressures may readily be obtained upon each of the several top rolls of the series and which is well adapted for individual accurate adjustment of the weighting pressure.

It is another object of the invention to provide a weighting mechanism which is readily releasable from contact with the top rolls and which permits easy removal of the top rolls for cleaning, removal of lap ups and the like, as well as itself providing a structure far less likely to pick up lint and fly than heretofore known drawing frame weighting mechanisms.

tis a still further object of the invention to provide an improved means for detecting a lap up as caused by the winding up of the sliver passing between the top and bottom` drawing rolls around one of said rolls, and for imparting `an actuating impulse to the. stop motion mechanism of the drawing vframe. to -stopsaid frame before damage is caused by said lap up.

The` nature and scope of the invention will be readily understood by the following description of a preferred embodiment of the invention when read in connection with the accompanying drawings, and the novel features ice .2 will lbe particularly vpointed out Iin the .appended claims.

In `the drawings:

Fig. `l is a view mainly `in 'vertical section showing a drawing mechanism embodying this invention;

Fig. 2=is a somewhat diagrammatic view of the lfdrawiln'g mechanism of Fig l;

Fig. "3 is a view taken substantially Online Vlil-3 of `Fig. l, the top ,portion of the frame with the roll Weighting and stop :motion Iunit associated with a particular 't'op roll `heinfg show-n in section; and

Fig. 2l is an enlarged detailed view of la portion of the unit shown `in Fig. 3.

The machine is herein disclosed as embodied in 'a'dra'wing fram o'f the general 'type having a `series of bottom rolls which may entend 'the full length of the machine and a cooperating series of top rolls which, in accordance with the usual practice, are fof relatively short lengths with bult a single boss, and which are supported and weighted individually by means of weighting means `at each endthereof..

lReferring to the drawings, the machine shown is `provided with :a :ser of live bottom rolls and tour cooperar` ing top rolls. libe bottom rolls, which are preferably provided with lluted surfaces and extend for the entire length of the frame, are -indicated at 10, l2, 114, 16 and 13, respectively. These rolls `are supported at intervals lin .slots forming bearings irl roll slides '20, which slides are carried on supporting roll stands 22. The mechanism by means of which the several bottom rolls 10-18, lnclusive, .are driven `at increasing peripheral driving rates for the drawing of a sliver, being well known and form` ing no part of the invention, is not specifically shown.

`Cooperating `with the bottom rolls, above described, are a series `of four top rolls indicated at 24, 26, `28 and 3i), respectively, said top rolls each having but a single boss and being of relatively short length thus providing essentially separate assemblies lengthwise of the ma'- chine, each of said assemblies comprising a series of cooperating top and bottom rolls mounted in slides 20 through which rolls individual slivers are drawn. In the illustrated form of the invention the top roll 3i), for eX- ample, consists of a roll which is `mounted on an arbor `32 `having at each end thereof a sleeve `bearing 33 supported lat each end in the vertically slotted slide 20. Top rolls 26, 2S and Z4 are similarly arranged to cooperate in the drafting of individual slivers through the machine.

ln accordance with the present invention, a weighting mechanism having a stop motion actuating mechanism combined therewith if desired is provided for 'said top rolls, said mechanism comprising a plurality of individual roll weighting and stop motion units which units areconstructed and arranged to engage the top `rolls to urge them against the bottom rolls with an accurately adjusted pressure.

It will be understood that the top roll weighting and stop `motion assembly herein disclosed may be constructed and arranged to provide an overarm having one series only of individual top roll weighting and stop motion units, or said overarm may be constructed and arranged for mounting a plurality of such series of weighting and stop motion units, as for example, in pairs to engage simultaneously againstopposite ends of each top roll. For purposes of illustration a top roll weighting and stop motion assembly is` assumed having a single series of weighting and stop motion units which will engage against one end only of each top roll, a separate but identical overarm assembly being provided to engage the opposite end of each top roll of the series. At least one ofthe individual units of the mechanism, as hereinafter pointed out,4 is well adapted alsoy to provide for the instant stopping of the machinein the event that any lap up occurs which will have the effect of substantially increasing be- 3 yond a normal amount the separation of the top roll from the cooperating bottom roll, such one unit preferably being that associated with the front top roll 30.

The top weighting and stop motion unit specifically illustrated in Fig. 3 comprises a plunger 36 which acts against a sleeve bearing member 38 on the arbor portion 32 of the top roll 38. The plunger 36 is supported within a housing 40 and is formed with an upwardly extending stem portion 42. A plug 44 having an axial bore through which the stem 42 is iitted to slide is screw-threaded into the open upper end of the housing. A compression spring 46 coiled about the stem 42 between the plug 44 and a washer 48 itted to the lower end of the stem 42 tends to force the plunger yieldably downwardly against the sleeve 38. The pressure exerted by the unit is readily adjusted by turning the threaded plug 44. The parts of the weighting unit including the strength of the spring 46 are chosen so that when a pressure of exactly the desired amount is exerted against the arbor 32 of the top roll 3), for example, the upper end of the stem 42 will be exactly flush with the top surface of the plug 44.

The unit above described is further constructed and arranged to cause the stop motion of the machine to operate. In the event that any individual plunger 36 is forced upwardly thus denoting an abnormal thickness of the sliver passing through the machine such as might be caused by a lap up an electrical circuit is closed to operate the machine stop motion. The circuit closing connection referred to is specically shown in Figs. l, 3 vand 4 in which the plug 44 is provided with a resilient cap 50 of insulating material such as rubber within which is mounted a conductor 52 having at its lower end a circular contact plate 54 which is spaced a slight distance above the top of the plug 44 by means of a washer 56 of non-conducting material. From an inspection of Fig. 4 it will readily be seen that when the upper end of the stem 42 is in its normally adjusted position Hush with the top of the plug 44 an air gap is interposed between the stem 42 and contact plate 54. The conductor 52 is engaged by a spring conductor arm 60 which is secured by an electric terminal screw 62 to a bracket 64 carried on a cover 66 for the entire weighting and stop motion unit. A collecting wire 68 leads from the terminal screw 62 to the relay of the machine stop motion circuit which may be of ordinary construction and is not here shown. It will be understood that identical weighting and stop motion units, such as that particularly described and illustrated in connection with Fig. 2, may be provided for engagement with each of the top rollers 24, 26, 28, and 30, although in the preferred embodiment of the invention but a single unit engaging front roll 30 need be provided with stop motion actuating means, the cap 50 :and washer 56 being omitted from the other units.

The individual weighting and stop motion units comprising each weighting and stop motion assembly are mounted on an overarm frame which comprises a pair of bars 78 and i2 which pass through slots 74 and 76, respectively, formed in the lower portion of each weighting and stop motion unit housing 4t), leaf springs 75 being interposed between the upper surfaces of said bars 70 and 72 and the upper surface of slots 74 and 76 to maintain said units in readily adjustable position on said bars. At their rear ends (at the left as shown in Figs. l and 2), the two bars '72 and 74 are connected to one another by a yoke 7S which is in turn connected by a pin 80 with a vertically extending rod 82 slidably mounted in a tubular guideway 84 in cover support slide 36 mounted on roll stand 22. At its lower end the rod 82 is slotted to receive la horizontally disposed arm 88 which is supported in said slot by pin 83 on rod 82. The `arm 88 is supported intermediate its length on a fixed pivot 90 on roll stand 22 and extends in a direction generally parallel to the bars 70, 72 beneath the bottom rolls 1.8-1.8, inclusive. At the front ends (at the right hand end) of the top roll weighting and stop motion assembly, as shown in Figs. 1

and 2, the overarms 70, 72 are connected to the bottom arm 88 by means of a contractible self-locking device which comprises a link 92 pivoted to the forward (right hand) end of the lower arm S8 and a hook member 94 which is adapted to engage across pin 96 extending between the two overarm members 70, 72 at their forward ends. The link 92 and hook member 94 are connected together by means of an eccentric locking device consisting of a disk 98 pivotally mounted by a pin 99 on a supporting slide 101 on roll stand 22, said disk having a manually operable handle 100. The link 92 and hook member 94 are pivotally connected to diametrically opposite edge portions of the disk, the parts being arranged so that rotation of the disk clockwise as shown in Fig. l causes the link 92 and hook 94 to be drawn toward one another into the self-locking position shown.

The bars 78, 72 and the arm 88 disposed in generally parallel relation thereto, together with the vertical shaft 82 and link and hook members 92, 94 form a substantially rectangular frame which is anchored to the machine by the pivots and 99 and by the bearing support 84 for the rod 82 so that the frame is self-adjustable when released to move the front and back ends ofiarms 70 and 72 simultaneously upwardly to unweight top rails 24-30 and yet to remain in a substanially horizontal position; yet, when handle is moved to engage each of the top roll weighting units against the top rolls 24-30 each of said units engages its top roll at its individually predetermined pressure.

The arrangement of the rectangular supporting frame for the roll weighting and stop motion units, above described, thus has the specific advantage that the operation of the manual controller to release the pressure on the several roll-s will effect a release of the pressure exerted by the several units simultaneously and by substantially the same amount. This result is obtained through the rocking movement imparted to the arm 88 about the pivot 98 when the link 92 and hook 94 are moved relatively apart by the rotation of the manual controller 188 so that the rod 82 and hook 94 move upwardly. That is, the link 92 simultaneously moves down causing the arm 88 to rock so that the rod 82 is moved upwardly releasing the pressure immediately and fully from the top rolls. When the manual controller 180 is moved downwardly to the locked position of Fig. l, the downward movement of the front end of overarm frame bars 70, 72 is matched by a simultaneous downward movement of the rod 82 as the arm 88 is moved in a counterclockwise direction about its pivot 90.

For the protection of each unit as well as to support top roll clearers (not shown) a cover 66 is provided which is pivotally supported to turn about a pivot pin M4 carried on the slide S6. As previously noted, the cover 66 also carries bracket 64 on which are mounted contact arms 68 for engagement with the conductor 52 of the stop motion device. Upon the raising of the cover, the stop motion devices are automatically disconnected.

It will be apparent to those skilled in this` art that various modifications of the invention may be made within the spirit of the invention and the scope of the appended claims.

We claim:

l. In a drawing frame, the combination with a series of bottom drawing rolls, and a cooperating series of top rolls, to act successively on a sliver, a weighting arm overlying said top rolls having a plurality of individual yieldably acting top roll weighting units mounted on said weighting arm to engage respectively the top rolls of said series, a bottom arm located in substantially parallel relation to said weighting arm beneath said cooperating rolls, linkage connections between adjacent ends of said weighting arm and bottom arm connecting said arms in substantially parallel relation, and a pivotal connection between an intermediate portion of said bottom arm and o ,lXCd portion of said drawing frame.

2. In a drawing frame, the combination with a series of bottom drawing rolls, and a cooperating series of top rolls to act successively on a sliver, a weighting arm comprising parallel bars overlying said top rolls, a plurality of individual yieldably acting top roll weighting units slidably mounted for adjustment longitudinally on said bans to engage respectively the top rolls of said series, each of said weighting units comprising a housing slotted to receive said bars, spring means frictionally engaging the housing against the respective bars to maintain said unit in adjusted position on said bars, a plunger movable in the housing against a top roll, and a compression spring acting against the plunger, and linkage connections between each of the two ends of said weighting arm and the drawing -frame including a locking device for locking the weighting arm and weighting units against the respective top rolls.

3. In a drawing frame, the combination with a series of bottom drawing rolls, a cooperating series of top rolls, and roll stands in which said cooperating rolls are positioned to act successively on a sliver, a weighting arm overlying said top rolls having a plurality of individual yieldably acting top roll weighting units mounted on said weighting arm to engage respectively the top rol-ls of said series, a bottom arm located in substantially parallel relation to said weighting arm beneath said cooperating rolls, a pivotal support on the drawing frame connecting with an intermediate portion of said bottom arm, a vertically disposed link slidably supported on the drawing frame connecting two adjacent ends of said weighting arm and bottom arm, and a contractible clamp locking device supported from the drawing 'frame connecting the other adjacent ends of said weighting arm and bottom arm.

4. ln a drawing frame, the combination with a series of bottom drawing rolls, a cooperating series of top rolls, and roll stands in which said cooperating rolls are positioned to act successively on a sliver, a weighting arm overlying said top rolls having a plurality of individual yieldably acting top roll weighting units mounted on said weighting arm to engage respectively the top rolls of said series, a bottom arm located in substantially parallel relation to said weighting arm beneath said cooperating rolls, a xed bearing support and a vertically slidable rod supported therein connecting two adjacent ends of said weighting arm and bottom arm, a contractible clamp locking device having a pivotal support on the drawing frame connecting the other adjacent ends of said weighting arm and bottom arm, and a pivotal connection between an intermediate portion o-f said bottom arm and a iiXed portion of the drawing frame whereby release of said contractible clamp locking device is effective to release pressure simultaneously along the length of said weighting arm. j

5. For use in a drawing frame having a series of bottom rolls, a cooperating series of top rolls, and roll stands in which said cooperating rolls are positioned to act successively on a sliver, and a weighting arm overlying said top rolls, a top roll Weighting unit which comprises a housing slotted to receive said `weighting arm and thereby mounted on said arm, means frictionally engaging said housing against .said arm to maintain said unit in adjusted position on said arm, a plunger movable into weighting engagement with a cooperating top roll, a compression spring mounted within said housing to act against the plunger, and a plug against which said spring is seated screw-threaded into the housing for adjustment and having an aperture through which a stem portion of the plunger extends for measurement of the spring pressure.

6. For use in a drawing frame having a series of bottom rolls, a cooperating series of top rolls, and roll stands in which .said cooperating rolls are positioned to act successively on a sliver, and a weighting arm overlying said top rolls, a top roll weighting and stop motion unit which comprises a housing mounted on said weighting arm, a plunger movable into weighting engagement with a cooperating top roll, a compression spring mounted within said housing to act against the plunger, a plug against which said spring is seated screw-threaded into the housing for adjustment and having an aperture through which a stem portion of the plunger extends ush with the top of the plug for the adjusted position of said spring and plunger, and a stop motion actuating device comprising an electrical contact member spaced a limited distance above the face of said stem portion of the plunger and arranged when engaged by said stem portion to eifect an electrical stop motion actuating circuit.

7. In a drawing frame, the combination with a series of bottom drawing rolls, a cooperating series of top rolls, means locating said bottom and top rolls in cooperating positions to act successively on a sliver, a weighting arm overlying said top rolls, a plurality of individual yieldably acting top roll weighting units mounted on said weighting arm to engage respectively the top rolls of said series, each of said weighting units comprising a housing carried on the weighting arm, a plunger movable in the housing against a top roll, a compression spring acting against the plunger, a plug screwthreaded for adjustment in the housing against which the spring is seated and having an aperture through which a stern portion of the plunger extends for measurement of the spring pressure, a stop motion actuating device associated with at least one of .said top roll weighting units comprising an electrical contact member mounted on the housing and spaced a limited distance above the face of said stem portion of the plunger and arranged when engaged by said stern portion to close an electrical contact, a cover pivotally supported on the drawing frame to overlie said Weighting arm and weighting and stop motion units, and an electrical contact arm carried by said cover arranged for the closed position of the cover to establish electrical contact with said contact member.

8. In a drawing frame as claimed in claim 1, wherein said linkage connections include contractible clamping means for securing the weighting arm and top roll weighting units against the top rolls of said series.

9. A top roll weighting unit as claimed in claim 5 wherein said means frictionally engaging said housing against said arm includes a leaf spring interposed between said arm and said housing.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 731,401 Wrigley lune 16, 1903 1,791,290 Scott Feb. 3, 1931 2,143,996 Orrell Ian. 17, 1939 2,373,176 Dickison Apr. 10, 1945 2,450,738 Russell Oct. 5, 1948 2,675,586 Hohloch Apr. 20, 1954 2,683,291 Harmon July 13, 1954 FOREIGN PATENTS 700,996 Great Britain Dec. 16, 1953 899,464 Germany Dec. 10, 1953 

